However, there is a simple figure to provide you with a solid starting point: 1/4 of a pound per fully grown chicken per day. This means each chicken will eat approximately 1.5 pounds of feed in a week.
A broiler chicken will eat about 1 kg of starter, 1.5 kg of grower and 1.5 kg of finisher to reach market weight.
If you would not eat the feed than your chickens should not either. So a flock of 6-12 chickens will consume approximately a gallon of water per day depending on the outside weather conditions. Chickens will eat approximately a 1/4 pound of feed per day. With the average weekly total of 1.5 pounds.
Most chickens will eat about 120 g of complete feed per day. If their food is less nutritious, for example a grain mix or table scraps, they will often eat more because they are trying to get enough of the essentials that their diet is lacking.
A chicken will typically eat about 400g of commercial feed (mixed grain or pellets) per day (about a double handful per bird). If they have access to food scraps and lots of green pick, then about 200g is enough.
If you overfeed your chickens, it could cause obesity, which can then lead to a range of health problems such as mobility issues, pressure sores, and becoming egg bound. To prevent these health conditions — some of which can be fatal — it's important to feed your backyard chickens the right type and amount of feed.
However, there is a simple figure to provide you with a solid starting point: 1/4 of a pound per fully grown chicken per day. This means each chicken will eat approximately 1.5 pounds of feed in a week. This amount will vary based on the age and size of your birds.
Your chickens should have a constant supply of food throughout the day. Chickens will eat when they need it and should go to bed with a full crop as they need lots of food to produce eggs. A fully grown chicken will typically eat about 120 grams of layers pellets a day.
200g of chicken provides your recommended daily allowance (RDA) of protein: 0.8g per kilo of body weight.
A laying hen will consume between 100 and 150 grams of feed per day or roughly 0.25 pounds.
Be careful not to leave any pellets or feed them out overnight because this will attract pests such as mice. Over time you will learn exactly how much feed your chickens need, which will depend on the breed, how active they are, and the time of the year.
Chickens will invariably eat (and drink) as soon as they rise, because their crop is empty. One of the most common problems is chicken keepers don't get up early enough to make feed accessible - this causes bullying and feather pecking as hungry (or hangry) birds wait for breakfast!
Provide Supplemental Food: Free range chickens will forage on their own, but providing supplemental feed can ensure good nutrition as well as provide essential vitamins for a healthy flock. Feed can also be used to train and lure chickens to return to the coop at night for safety.
It's not necessarily unhealthy to consume 500 grams of chicken every day, but it may not be the best idea for a balanced diet. Consuming that much chicken daily could result in a high intake of saturated fat and cholesterol, which can increase the risk of heart disease.
By eating 1 kg of chicken a day —you are neglecting other sources of protein such as fish, eggs and lean red meat, which offer useful amounts of iron and B12, important for energy metabolism. Why is it bad to eat just one meal a day? Eating only one meal a day is very bad.
Excess of anything is bad and the same rule applies to chicken. Eating chicken every day is not bad, but you need to be cautious while choosing the right one and cooking it right too. Chicken may cause food poisoning because of salmonella, a bacterium found in poultry chicken that can cause food-borne illnesses.
Chicken is one of the best sources of proteins that help build and maintain structures in the body and also break down the toxins. Purchasing 100 grams cooked (about 150 grams raw) per person can help keep portions at bay and this lean meat can definitely be part of a healthy diet in appropriate portions.
But because your chickens won't, for the most part, be eating and drinking after dark, you can choose to have your food and water outdoors or in. It is done both ways. My personal preference is to keep feeders and waterers inside, if the coop is large enough to allow it.
Chickens need to eat all day, so always have good quality feed in their pens. A good format to follow is to top their feed up in the mornings and let them out for 30-60 mins in the late afternoon. Usually they will go into their pen as night falls, or offer their scraps after their time out to encourage them back in.
Placing Your Feeders & Waterers
They function best if placed in the run instead of inside the coop. Chickens don't usually eat after they go to roost, which is about 30 minutes before dusk. The best place for your feeder and waterer is where your chickens spend the most time during the day.
One hen will eat 150g-180g of Poultry Layers Pellets per day (as a rough guide 3kg of pellets would last 5 hens for 3 days) and they don't tend to overeat. Don't be tempted to get a large feeder to last longer as the food will go stale and mouldy after a few days.